Of Blood and Steel
by FastFox-42
Summary: Vincent arrives to Paris to study in a prestigious school. However, he'll quickly find out his life won't be as simple as he thought upon meeting a new group of friends who happen to be mythicals.
1. Chapter 1 - A smokeless chimney

**Chapter 1 – The smokeless chimney**

* * *

"Flight 042 with Avalon Airways for Paris will depart in 30 minutes, passengers are expected at the south gate"

Vincent clenched the handle of his luggage.

In only an hour he'd be flying away from everything he'd known to France. He'd be a foreigner there, for the first time in his life, no family, no hometown or familiar faces. The thought scared and thrilled him at the same time.

After all, he'd been accepted in his dream school in Paris, something that seemed impossible a few years ago.

"It'll be fine, honey" said a voice behind him, as a warm hand rested on his shoulder.

His grandmother's smile was warm and reassuring, she could sense his distress, he supposed. Not that It must have been very difficult, he tended to be easy to read, or so he'd been told.

"If the plane isn't late you'll get there in the morning, so try to get some sleep during the trip alright?"

Vincent nodded, although he wasn't sure if he'd manage to sleep at all. Flying made him anxious.

"I'll make sure to call you when I get there"

She smiled, then gestured him to hurry.

And so, he left, giving one last wave to his grandmother.

While he walked toward the gate, he couldn't help but think how he wished for his parents to be there. He didn't remember much about his father, he'd left when he was 5 for reasons his mother always avoided answering. She, however, had stayed for him, raising him with the help of his grandparents. He had leant french through his grandparents and english at home with his mother.

She was abroad now, some business stuff apparently. She'd sent a message wishing him a good trip along with a flow of motherly advice, but he simply wished she'd been there.

Seated on a bench in front of the departure gate, he unfolded the piece of paper where the address of his future home was written :

 **42 Dareau street, 75001 Paris**

Just a name for now, he thought, but not a meaningless one. The flat belonged to his father, before he divorced Vincent's mother, that is. The divorce lawyer seemed to have done a good job of securing it for her, even though it had stayed virtually inhabited until then.

That, too, would change soon, he thought with a smile as he walked towards the gate.

* * *

It was cold in Paris that day.

Vincent shivered as he walked down the streets, luggage in one hand, paper in the other.

The city was very different from everything he'd known back in the US. The streets were narrower, crowded with people hurrying to their destination dodging the dog excrements that sometimes laid on the sidewalk. The morning sun reflected off the street's puddles making them spark like jewels, only disturbed by the passage of cars.

He found himself staring at every corner, every window, street lamp like a child in a candy store. It was exciting, after all, to discover a place brand new. He thought about venturing in the bigger streets, but for now, he had a flat to find.

Finally, the "Rue Dareau" sign showed up. It was a busy street at this time of the day, yet Vincent had no trouble spotting a few shops, and even a graveyard further away. Well, those weren't really his favourite thing to hang around but he supposed it would at least provide for a quiet neighbourhood.

He smiled at the thought.

He walked more slowly now, anxiously checking every building's number, until his showed up.

The building looked like most others in the street, a plain and pale facade with rectangular windows and white shutters. A bright red wooden door stood at the entrance, its paint worn down by weather and time.

He pushed open the door, revealing a dark hallway followed by a set of stairs.

He climbed the steep stairway up to the last floor, where his flat was situated.

A dark and heavy wooden door barred his way. Some symbols had been painted on its surface, which had been erased by the passage of time and years of use. That one looked like it had seen more than a few owners go through its doorstep.

Vincent produced a key from his pocket.

Now, that one looked like it had come out of some sort of souvenir shop.

The metal gave a golden shine, as if it had been polished seconds before being handed to him. The bow of the key displayed what looked like a winged lion with a snake tail. He had no clue where in heavens his father found this weird-looking key... He'd have to ask his mother about it. Maybe she'd know. She was the one that gave it to him, after all.

The lock clicked pleasantly as the cuts of the key pushed the mecanism inside.

Darkness.

He felt the wall in search of a switch.

Light invaded the place, revealing a snowfall of dust.

Vincent repressed a sneeze as he observed his surroundings. The room looked like it came from another era. And been hit by a hurricane. That, too.

The whole place was littered with newspapers, books and various objects as if his father had left one day and never come back.

The center of the room was covered by colourful carpets, upon which were arranged several armchairs around a glass table. Many framed photographs covered the walls.

He got closer and wiped away the layer of dust.

The picture showed his dad standing next to a black man with curly hair, the eiffel tower behind them. That person was unfamiliar to him, probably a distant family friend which he forgot about.

He spread the curtains, letting the outside's light in.

If one managed to look past the mess, the place looked like it was still in good shape. He continued exploring, spotting a bathroom, a small kitchen, and a bedroom with a ridiculously large bed. Not that he'd complain.

The flat was much better than anything he'd hoped for.

He rolled up his sleeves.

"Let's clean this mess up" he said out loud, a soft smile on his face.

* * *

His phone's ringtone woke him up.

What time was it? It felt like it was in the middle of the night.

The screen of phone shed light on his sleepy face.

05:42

Yep, that was still very much night as far as he was concerned.

He picked up the call anyway.

"Hey mom"

"Hi sweetheart, sorry for calling so late ! I just got out of my meeting, how are you doing ?"

At this point it'd be more accurate to say early, but he wasn't going to let tiredness get the best of him.

"Pretty good. The flat needed a lot of cleaning but it's inhabitable now. I haven't gotten time to go around the city yet, probably will do that today"

"That's a good idea, be careful not to get lost though. When do you start class ?"

He thought for a second.

"Well, tomorrow actually" The realisation made him slightly anxious. "I suppose I'll have to get everything ready by the end of the day, probably gonna do some grocery shopping for starters"

"Good idea, don't worry about tomorrow, you'll do great i'm sure of it"

He smiled "It's only a first day, I'm not afraid. Probably going to stick around english-speaking people at first to get used to the whole people-speak-french-here thing"

"As you prefer, but i'm not worried for you on that one, you'll fit in just fine"

"Well we'll see that soon. How's your trip going ?"

"As well as a business can go. All i want is to be back from it, unfortunately that won't happen until next week. Anyway, take care"

He wished her goodbye before hanging up the phone.

He looked through the dark, breathing silently. He found he didn't feel like going back to sleep.

"What is wrong with me" he moaned.

Oh well, might as well make the best of it.

He jumped out of bed, heading straight for the shower.

School didn't start until 08:00 and he'd take him around 15 minutes to get there.

Maybe he could grab some viennoiseries down at a bakery which would probably open soon.

He smiled at the thought. Baiting himself with promises of food, what a way to motivate oneself ! Well, he had time to kill after all, it'd be a good training for his rusty french, if nothing else.

Vincent dressed himself with warm clothes and exited the building, carefully locking the door behind him.

The day was fresh and new, the skies still a dark canvas pierced by the light of a hundred stars.

Hands in the pockets of his cloak, he made his way towards the bakery.

* * *

"How long do you think he'll be gone ?" said a hushed voice.

"Doesn't matter, enough"

The door clicked, letting the two strangers in the appartment.

"Check the chimney, that's where he left it, i reckon"

"Heh, chimney, right. That one has never seen smoke in its lifetime"

"Lucky us, that'd mean we were burning down there"

A pale hand felt the metallic pipe, finally finding the secret switch behind it.

"Aha, got it ! The ol' fool never thought of hiding it somewhere else !"

The other one crossed his arms. "Yeah... Or rather he wanted us to find it there. Why'd he hide it in the first place ? This guy was far from stupid"

"Whatever, not my business. So where do we leave it ? Somewhere that's not too suspicious yet findable..."

A pair of red eyes scanned the surroundings, not bothered by the lack of light in the room.

"How 'bout under the shelf ? If we leave the chain slightly protruding like so... Yeah, perfect !"

A sharp-teethed smile answered him. "Guess we're done here, let's go"

"The things we do for others..."

"Right ? Worst part is that they never put two and two together, those idiots"

The locked clicked anew, shut.

"Wanna go grab something to eat ? I've heard they've stored gallons of honey in a warehouse a few minutes from there with only a dumb lock on the door"

"Would be a shame if some of it would happen to vanish, eh ?" answered the other, laughing.

* * *

Vincent looked around, perplexed. He was pretty sure he'd seen a bakery soomewhere around here yesterday... except now he couldn't remember where.

He sighed, a small cloud of vapor forming as his breath met cold air.

He'd ask someone for directions, but the street was devoid of life at this time of the day.

A nearby voice caught his attention. He looked around, quickly spotting a group of three persons in their twenties walking side-by-side.

'Here's my chance' he thought.

They were one boy and 2 girls, probably his age. Happy to have found other people, Vincent didn't pause to wonder why they were walking around at this hour.

"Uhm, excuse me ?" he said after getting closer.

The guy turned his head. He was quite the massive one, probably around 2m tall (6' 6,7"), heavily muscled, wearing a simple shirt with some greek symbols on it despite the cold. The golden chain of a necklace ran around his neck, the pendant that hanged from it hidden under his shirt. He had metallic grey eyes, dark hair and a curved smile on his face, looking at him with a good-natured curiosity.

The two girls also stared at him. The one on his left had bright blue hairs cascading on her shoulders and a pair of striking green eyes above a cloud of freckles and a narow mouth.

The one on his right wore her golden hair in a ponytail, a pair of glasses barely hiding two deep-sea blue eyes.

Unlike the man, they were wearing warm clothes.

"Do you... happen to know where the nearest bakery is ? I... I'm kind of new here"

A big smile split the guy's face. "You bet we do, we were going there actually, come along !"

"Thanks" said Vincent, relieved. "I'm Vincent, by the way"

"Cool to meet you, Vincent, I'm Thomas Minoes the Legendary, and those are my loyal followers" he said, taping his shoulder.

The girl with blue hair laughed. "Don't listen to that babbling idiot, I'm Sarah, and this is Andrea" she said, pointing at the golden-haired girl, who simply waved.

Vincent smiled "Pleasure to meet you guys"

They sounded friendly.

"So you're from where ? I'm noticing an accent there" said Sarah

"Minnesota, uhm, in the US basically"

"Dude !" exclaimed Thomas "That rocks ! I've always wanted to go to the US !

"Me too !" added Sarah "Your french is really good, i'm impressed. You'll be able to have conversations with Andrea, she speaks a near-perfect english"

Andrea blushed "Hum... Well... I do okay"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "And... Don't listen to that one either, she's the smartest person I know. Kind of our 'Hermionne', but too humble for her own good"

Andrea shook her head, more amused than embarassed "And you'd be in Gryffindor, i'm willing to bet"

"I would !" Bellowed Thomas, laughing "Sarah fits better in the Hufflepuff house, and you, Ravenclaw !"

"Hope you don't expect me to become a Slytherin, though" joked Vincent. "I'm not too fond of snakes"

That brought a smile to Andrea's face. She was beautiful when she smiled, he noticed.

"The bakery's right there !" announced Thomas as if they were lost sailors spotting an island.

"Thomas, hush !" laughed Sarah, "You're going to wake up the entire town"

"So what do you do ?" Andrea asked Vincent.

"Hum, i study law... i mean, i'm going to, the school's name is H.E.A.D"

Her eyes widened a little "Really ? Me too !"

"Ooooh, that's fate right there !" said Sarah, nudging her friend with her elbow. "I'm in an art school, Thomas is studying history, he wants to be a teacher"

"Enough chatting, it's time for 'croissants' !" said Thomas dramatically, pretending to be holding a flag.

"And 'pains au chocolat' !" added Sarah, fist in the air.

Vincent found himself grinning.

This first day proved to be more enjoyable than he'd thought.

He wondered what else 'fate' had in store for him.

He couldn't wait.

* * *

End of chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2 - The medallion

**Chapter 2 – The Medallion**

* * *

"Where do you want to eat ?" inquired Andrea.

Vincent was starving. This morning's lessons felt like they lasted an eternity, each professor introducing themselves and basically exposing their resume during several hours. He did try to stay focused but gave up halfway through.

"Anywhere, you decide" he responded.

She smiled. "We usually meet up at a small restaurant a few minutes from there with Sarah and Thomas. It's fairly cheap and there's plenty enough to eat, even Thomas says so"

"Then it must be true for anyone" he joked

"Tell me about it, he always eats two people's worth of food, I don't know how he does it"

"He looks like he does a lot of sport"

"Oh, he does. He's part of a semi-professional rugby team, they're pretty good. Once he told us he got an offer to go pro, but he refused."

Vincent frowned. "Why ? Wasn't it a good opportunity ?"

She shrugged "I suppose it was, but Thomas is very close to his family and doesn't want to leave them."

He understood, he might have felt the same way if his family hadn't split up when he was young. He tried imagining what it would have been like, but quickly pushed the image out of his mind.

"How about you ?" he asked

She hesitated for a while, then simply answered "Most of them are abroad, scattered all around the globe. Most of them I've never even met. We're not quite the Finns"

"The what ?"

She looked distressed, cleared her throat "Hum, I mean… It's uh… a French TV serie where they're a big family and always do everything together, yup. Sorry you probably wouldn't know"

Did she really get so stressed because he didn't catch a reference? That was a bit odd, he thought.

"It's fine" he said, trying to be reassuring.

They walked shoulder-to-shoulder in silence for a while.

"Here they are, look"

Sure enough, Thomas and Sarah were walking toward them at the other end of the street.

Thomas waved at them from a distance.

"You guys look like you've known each other for some time" he noted

"I mean, we have. We've basically grown up together, our families are fairly close, too. But you know, it's nice to see someone new join the group"

"Thanks, you guys have been great to me, I really appreciate it"

"How's the American doing ?" Bellowed Thomas, grabbing Vincent by the waist and lifting him up in the air effortlessly.

Caught by surprise, Vincent almost let out a shriek.

"Let him down you brute" laughed Sarah, "You're going to scare him away"

Vincent's feet found the ground again, as he sighed with relief.

« See ? He's still alive » answered Thomas, pretending to be sorry

« Don't do this to me, man, i almost had a hearth attack »

« Nothing a meal won't fix » Added Sarah, « Come along now, before the place is fulll »

"Are you alright ?" slipped Andrea to him before they entered the building, looking slightly worried.

"I'm good, don't worry, it's just that I'm not quite used to that"

She gestured him to enter, visibly relieved.

Vincent stepped through the door.

The place was very small, barely the size of his own appartment, only a handful of tables had been set up, most of them already occupied.

The white-coloured walls were crowded with mirors, paintings and various objects from all around the world.

He noticed a painting of a maze, some egyptian symbols, recreations of medieval banners, an old gun with a bayonet that looked like it was older than the building and a few framed photographs.

The wooden counter was clear of any item except for a phone, a small pile of menus and tracts for different shows.

A door opened and a woman with brown curly hair appeared behind the counter, a pleased expression on her face. "Oh, if it isn't the gang ! Along with a new face I see, hi ! I'm Clara and over there in the kitchen is my husband Jeremie"

"Vincent, nice to meet you."

"And what are you ?" she inquired

He frowned. What did she mean ? He looked at Andrea who in turn looked at Sarah.

"Uhm he isn't..." interrupted Sarah "... From here. He's new to Paris"

"Oh, i see, well nothing wrong with that" she laughed. "I mean, not being born in Paris. What will you guys eat ?"

Vincent shrugged off that awkward passage and picked the same meal as Andrea.

They all sat down at a table near the window. "So how was your first day, you two ?" started Andrea.

"It was mostly about meeting the teachers, not much more than that. At least now we have the afternoon for ourselves" answered Vincent. "I was thinking about visiting the city for a while later"

"I can show you around", proposed Andrea.

"Oh yes, definitely" he answered. The idea made him happy as he hoped to spend more time with her. "How about you guys ?" He asked in turn to Thomas and Sarah.

"Classes" she shrugged

"Same, but I'm sure you two will be fine without us" Thomas grinned. "But don't worry, this weekend you're coming along with us, no refusal allowed"

"It's his birthday soon" explained Sarah, "We're throwing a party at his parent's place"

"Well sure i'd love to be there"

"Like you had a choice" she joked.

Thomas crossed his arms "He didn't"

"Looks like you got yourself in trouble" smiled Andrea.

He returned the smile, slightly nervous.

"Where do you live, by the way ? You're not staying at some hotel, are you ?" asked Andrea

"Oh, no, not at all ; I live at a flat that used to be my dad's. It's not far from here, in Dureau street, near the graveyard. It's been unused for some time it seems"

Thomas stopped eating for a moment, "What number ?"

"Uhm, 42 ? Why do you want to know"

"There's no way... what did you say your surname was again ?"

"Fireheart..." Vincent was getting uncomfortable. "Did you know my father ?"

"Hell if I do ! He's a good friend of my family, I didn't even know he had a son !" roared Thomas, visibly thrilled "They're all going to be so happy to meet you this weekend !"

"You knew him as well ?" Vincent asked to Andrea and Sarah, who both nodded. "What was he like ?"

They all fell silent. "Did you... not know him ?" risked Sarah

"Not really, he left for France when i was very young still, my mother and grandparents raised me"

Thomas looked uncomfortable "Look, I'm very sorry I thought..."

"No harm done"

They were interrupted by their plates being served. "There you go, blanquette de veau for our american friend" said Jeremie with a smile

"Thank you"

They ate in an awkward silence for a while, until Vincent spoke again.

"Do you guys want to see the appartment after lunch ? I wanted to drop my bag there before going aorund the city, so..."

"Oh, I'd love to, but I have class this afternoon" answered Thomas. "Same here" sighed Sarah, "But some over time, sure. I bet your father has quite the collection of antiquities in there"

"That's true" Vincent laughed, "It took ages to clean the dust, it was everywhere! Hell, I didn't even have time to clean half of it"

"Tell me about it" sneered Sarah "At my parent's workshop there's so much dust we have to clean it every week. That's the downsides of sculpture, i guess"

"Your parents are sculptors ? That's so cool, i'd love to see their workshop some time around"

She cleared her throat "Uhm... yes, sure, probably not this week though, they're working hard on a big project so I don't want to bother them for now"

"That's fine, don't worry about it. So it's just you and me, Andrea ?"

"Sounds like it" she said with a smile. She looked rather pleased at the thought and to be honest, so was he.

* * *

Vincent search his pocket for his keys, while Andrea waited next to him.

"Sounds like the street is pretty quiet, isn't it ?"

"Well it has been so far" he noted.

As quiet as a big town's street could be, that was, there was no avoiding the noise of cars, people and birds at any hour. At least he'd heard nothing of his neighbours.

The lock gave way, and they entered through the door, climbed the steep, narrow steps to his appartment.

The dark room that they entered was almost creepy, until he turned on the light.

He raised his arms "Welcome to my place"

"It's much nicer than I imagined, you did a great job of cleaning it up" She said, examining the many paintings.

"You should have seen the look it had when i first got there, straight out of a ghost story. These books were scattered all over the..."

Vincent paused for a second, noticing a shiny metallic circle on the ground that protruded from under the cabinet.

He kneeled to get a close look.

It was a pendant of sorts, one that looked like it was made of gold, or copper.

He discerned an engraving similar to the one that he'd noticed on the appartment's key : a winged lion with a snake tail. A silver chain ran through its top, indicating it was meant to be worn.

How did it get here ?

Intrigued, he reached to pick it up.

His finger closed on the ornament.

He felt something like an electric shock in his hand, then a weird, unpleasant feeling.

His vision went blurry, his arms felt heavier.

When he looked at them, they were gradually covering in fur.

"WHAT THE HELL... ?"

His own voice was deeper than usual, he watched in dismay as his shoes got shredded to pieces, revealing the hooves that quickly formed inside them.

"Vincent ! Oh my god !"

Andrea's voice felt distant, almost foreign.

He struggled to move, his paws scratching the floor loudly, claws riping wood.

As Vincent turned toward the mirror, something on his back sent furniture tumbling on the floor.

What he saw made him freeze.

A lion face, two yellow, wild feline eyes, staring right back at him. He could read his own fear in the reflection.

Atop his head, ram horns curled in a perfectly symmetrical fashion, only bested in height by two gigantic wings of brown feathers.

Lying on the floor was a greenish tail, scaled like a snake.

"I...I..."

He watched in dismay his reflection's mouth move as he spoke, revealing a row of sharp teeth.

His breathing grew hoarse as his mind tried to make sense of what was happening to him.

"Vincent... you... you need to stay calm, okay ?"

He couldn't hear her anymore, already fainting.

His mind has already gone blank as he hit the floor.

* * *

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3 - The Avalon

**Chapter 3 - The Avalon**

* * *

Vincent felt a slight headache.

He tried to open his eyes, but only darkness showed itself.

His throat let out a grunt. Every one of his muscles felt stiff, as if he'd run a marathon the day before.

He raised a hand to scrub his eyes, only to feel the soft touch of pads surrounded by fur.

The event of yesterday flashed back to him.

When they went up to his appartment, the medallion he'd found... when he touched it... No, that didn't really happen. How could it ?

It must've been a dream, it was probably one still.

That made more sense.

'But if you're here and thinking, you're probably not dreaming' said a voice in his head.

He hushed it, refusing to consider the idea.

There was something else, for now : where was he ?

His eyes oppened again, this time discerning a faint light describing the shape of a door.

"Oh, you're awake. 'Morning"

The voice made him jump. Where did it come from ?

"Who are you ?" Vincent said in a surprisingly deep voice.

"Just call me Tom. Hang on, I'll go fetch Andrea, she's been insisting to see you for hours now"

"Andrea? Where am I ? I was in my flat..." He felt a wave of distress take over him.

"Hey, hey... easy, my friend, easy. Stay calm, okay ? No one's in danger"

A icy cold hand laid on his shoulder, probably in a clumsy attempt to reassure him.

Vincent's breath settled after a while.

"Alright, good. You stay here, i'll get your girl friend and she'll explain it to you, got it?"

"Y-Yes"

A door opened, flooding the room with light, until darkness claimed it again.

Vincent scampered to his feet, finding himself on all four.

"Oh I have a bad feeling about this" he muttered.

"Just a dream" he reminded himself, "Nothing more, it's only a matter of time before I wake up"

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of steps.

"How is he ?" said Andrea's voice, hushered by the door.

"Don't seem to know what hit him yet. I'll let you handle it, you know how terrible I am with people"

"Thanks Tom, I won't forget it"

"Just make sure to be there when the counsil summons me later today, eh ?"

"Dont be so pessimistic, I'm sure they'll understand you only meant to help"

"We'll see, good luck with him"

Light rained down on him anew as the door was pushed open.

"Vincent ?" asked Andrea.

"Andrea, what's going on ?"

She kneeled near him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were... well, I'll explain that in the moment. Are you feeling okay ?"

He hesitated. "I suppose..."

She grabbed his hand "Can you get walk ? I'd rather explain it outside this damned room"

He moved forward, slowly realising that his body wasn't functionning the way it used to.

Once outside, he looked down at what was now his front paws, covered in golden fur, confirming what he feared.

"So it's real, isn't it ?" Vincent ventured.

"Yes, you turned into a... well, a Chimera."

He turned around, examining the scaly tail that rested behind him.

"Like... In the greek mythology ?"

"Pretty much. Your father was a Chimera too, those are fairly rare here so you turning was unexpected"

He shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense to me, why did i turn into a... monster ? My father was normal too, i remember that much"

"Oh, not a monster, a myhtical creature. All those you've learned through greek, northern, egyptian or any other mytholgy ? They really exist, only they hide using these" she showed a tiny circular medallion tied around her neck.

Upon closer look he saw it represented a gryphon.

"Your father used the medallion you found to disguise himself as human"

"How ?"

"Magic"

"Are you being serious ?"

She shrugged "Well there's no other way to put it, those medallions were made ages ago by sphinxes to help Mythicals to hide and live in peace"

"Then why did it turn me into a... mythical creature ? I've always been human, none of that makes any sense"

"Well since you were born from a human couple and your father was under his human form spell at the time, you've remained... let's say... permanently disguised, until you touched the medallion that revealed your true form"

"Why was that medallion in my appartment ?"

"It belonged to your father, i'm fairly sure. Now why he would have abandonned his own medallion, I don't know."

Vincent felt opressed in the hallway where they stood, his body touching both walls.

"I... What am I going to do now ? The university, my family, everything is ruined ! I can't go out like this... I don't even know where we are !"

She smiled "Don't worry about it, i'll show you how to transform back into a human, but first, let me show you exactly where this place is... follow me"

The stone corridor led to a gentle slope going up, which he had no trouble walking on.

Moving his four feet felt very odd, he was thankful for the tail that compensated for his clumsiness.

The hooves on his back paws clacked at every step he took, like a regular rythm.

Finally they reached the end of the slope.

Vincent stood speechless at what he was witnessing.

A gigantic dome stretched above them, sparked with a multitude of light sources like so many miniature suns.

Heavy steel beams supported the whole building, following the curve of the facades as well as holding the terraces in the lower levels above them.

Andrea and himself were surrounded by a garden where several fountains brought a fresh scent to the air.

He spotted some odd creatures sitting on benches next to them, one looking like a anthropomorphic lion, another like a satyre.

Shops, building entrances, stairways and statues formed a large ring around them above which the balconies stood, perched on their heavy steel foundations.

"What is this place...?" he whispered in wonder.

"Welcome to the Paris Avalon" simply answered Andrea, "One of the biggest in Europe, but the most beautiful by far ! Well, that's what I think. It was designed and built in secret in 1882 by Gustave Eiffel under the city, it's been a shelter for mythicals like us ever since"

"So you're a mythical, too ?" he ventured, unsure of wanting to know the answer.

She nodded. "I am, a gryphon to be exact"

"So... You're disguised as a human at the moment, but this isn't your true form, correct ?"

"That's accurate, I didn't want to freak you out more than necessary"

"Can I... see it ?" He felt so awkward asking such a question, was he being rude ? He hoped not, but then again he was still trying to wrap his mind around what was happening.

Before he had time to realize what was happening, a gryphon stood before him, its two blue eyes almost intimidating. The wood-brown fur took a lighter tone on her back, while the wings had a striking golden color. A white marking shaped like a downward triangle showed on her forehead, as if pointing to her beak.

Vincent was speechless.

"Uhm, well, there it is." She said, slightly embarassed

"Wow... I... This is crazy. How about the others ?"

"Where is he ?" bellowed Thomas in the distance.

They both turned toward voice.

A very pale, dark-haired boy pointed at them.

Vincent had to stop himself from running away in fear as a Minotaur ran toward him.

His hooves screeched as he drifted on the floor tiles which barely slowing him down.

"Nononono !"

The minotaur smashed at full into Vincent, sending him tumbling among the bushes.

"Are you okay ?" hesitantly asked Andrea

"Hopefuly Thomas didn't murder him before our eyes just now" Said Sarah's voice

Vincent emerged from the vegetation, a multitude of leaves caught in his mane.

"What the hell was that ?" He noticed a sort of pegasus standing next to Andrea in gryphon shape. "Sarah ?"

"Hi" she said, raising a hand where a hoof replaced three fingers. "Glad to see you don't look too freaked out about this whole mythical thing"

She had the shape of a horse that'd somehow learned to walk on two feet. A icy-blue coloured mane echoed the large wings folded behind her back.

"Well now that you mention it, I still am"

"Vincent ! I'm so sorry friend, these damn tiles are more slippery than a bar of soap, are you okay ?" exclaimed Thomas, making his way through the plants. He ressembled closely the pictures Vincent had seen in the mythological books he read as a kid, this one having black fur with brown spots and white horns.

"And that's Thomas, I presume" sighed Vincent "Actually a minotaur seems pretty fitting"

"Where did you find that chimera medallion ?" asked Sarah, "I thought there was only one in existence and your father had it?"

"Well when I came home there was..." His explanations were interrupted by the arrival of a white stag wearing a very formal dress : "Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, I am here on behalf of the counsil to inform you that you've been summoned for an extraordinary meeting, you two" he said, pointing at Andrea and Vincent. "Please follow me", before he turned and walked away from them.

"That can't be good" winced Vincent.

"Don't worry, you've done nothing wrong" slipped Andrea, "We better following him nonetheless, they don't joke about those meetings"

If she was trying to reassure him, it certainly failed.

* * *

The scene looked like it was an out-of context extract from a children book.

Around a square table were sitting what looked like a big, rather creepy black bear, the white stag that guided them, a canine-headed gargoyle and a goat with large curved black horns atop its head.

Andrea and the pale boy he'd seen earlier stood next to him.

"So it seems it wasn't the last time we'd hear about the Fireheart family" remarked the white stag, "Let us introduce ourselves, I am Marc Dubos"

"Kristia" said the bear, her eyes loocked on the pale boy next to Vincent.

"I'm Eric", continued the Gargoyle, his arms crossed

The goat kept silent for a moment, then seemed to realise they were waiting for her response.

"Oh ! Sorry, I'm Alice, nice to meet you... what's your name ?"

"I'm Vincent"

"Lovely meeting you, Vincent, you look just like your father, what a shame he decided to leave, but the man was always full of projects, you know. I remember once he said..."

Marc cleared his throat, provoking a flow of excuses from Alice.

"We are here because tonight, Tom has opened one of the catacomb's entrances to Andrea and Vincent to allow them entrance despite the very clear order given just a month ago to cease the use of this door, deemed too dangerous for use"

"Marc, you know very well that..." started Tom, before the Stag interrupted him :

"Not only that, but you have gone and contacted two of Andrea's friend and at no point deigned to report to any of the council's members this information, until dawn !"

"Calm down Marc, you're making a mountain out of a pebble here" sighed Alice. "Why have entrances if we don't use them ? I mean, just because a chunk of the wall fell down doesn't mean it's too dangerous to be used either"

"I agree with her" said Eric "I don't think an extraordinary meeting was anywhere near necessary. All Tom did was open the door he was supposed to open in such conditions. He should be praised for it, as far as I'm concerned. Now if listening to Marc's tantrum was the sole reason of this meeting, I think a simple warning to Tom will be plenty enough."

Kristia, who'd remained silent until then simply added : "I agree and I think the majority has spoken. Let us now end this silly meeting and my most welcoming thoughts to Vincent"

The chimera felt uneasy as he became the focus of everyone's attention.

"Uhm, thanks"

"You may now leave, you three" concluded Eric, completely ignoring the hatred in Marc's eyes.

Vincent was rather relieved to leave the room.

"Maybe I'll finally be able to catch my breath, what a crazy day" he said to Andrea.

"Don't worry, you've gone through the weird and the intimidating quota of it, I'm sure"

He let out a relieved laugh as they went through the main door.

* * *

Marc opened the front door of his house, then stopped. Something felt odd, like a cold gaze on his back.

He turned and saw Tom, arms crossed, his crimson eyes staring right at him.

"Now, now, what was today's mess all about, mmh ?" asked the boy, a mocking smile escaping his lips, showing traces of excessively sharp teeth.

"I could ask you the very same question, Tom, I thought we agreed you would follow the rules, this time"

"The girl asked me to let in her friend, they were in the middle of the graveyard, if I'd refused, someone could have seen them clear as day, that's something you'd want, right ?"

"This Avalon has rules and I will not accept anyone breaking them unless..."

"Don't you speak to me like some child, Marc ! I was already protecting this place when your grandparents were but toddlers, I will not follow your stupid rules because you feel important in your fancy suit !" The boy had move toward him threateningly as he said so.

"Are you threatening me, Monster ?"

A wide smile split Tom's Face, the red shine in his eyes growing stronger.

"Threatening ? Come on, Marc, you know better than that, I'm simply... warning you. I'll protect this Avalon no matter the cost, or who I need to face... You understand me, mh ?"

They were face to face now, both standing their ground.

"I know, this is also my intent"

"THEN ACT LIKE IT" screamed Tom, a volley of sparks escaping from his eyes.

Marc backed up, protecting his face from the sparks with his hand.

"I wish you a pleasant evening, Mr. Marc Dubos" the boy added in a satyrical voice, before walking away as if nothing happened.

The stag watched him go, until darkness claimed him.

He fixed his tie, trying to regain his composure and entered his house.

"God, I hate those damned VoirLoups"


	4. Chapter 4 - Eyes in the night

**Chapter 4 - Eyes in the night**

* * *

Vincent stared at the void, trying to find sleep.

So far he'd had no success, his mind refusing to slow down, like a car without brakes, he couldn't help but think about today.

Andrea had done her best to answer all his questions, but there was still so many things he failed to understand.

Apparently there were many avalons like this one in the world, no one really knew how many.

The Paris one was among the biggest, that much was certain. As for mythicals, they'd existed since forever.

How they'd managed to stay hidden to this day was a mystery to him, the idea that not a single video or picture had been captured of mythicals, not a single witness had occured in such a long period of time was unlikely.

Maybe they had people whose job was keeping the mythicals a secret, like a secret police.

That made sense, he could only imagine what a mess it'd be if the public were to find out about them.

Well, him too, he realised. He was one of 'them'.

That was perhaps the most surprising thing, still. He was stepping into a completely unknown territory, of which he barely knew any rule.

Fortunately he hadn't been held accountable for his turning, neither had been Andrea. Getting her into trouble was the last thing he wanted.

After the council they had gone to Andrea's place, since it was getting late already.

There she had shown him how to assume human shape using his medallion.

"See ? It's easy, I knew you'd have no problem doing it" she'd said after he successfuly turned, the medallion tied around his neck."There's also a midform, halfway between the two, but that'll take a bit of practice to get right. However, you must never remove the medallion outside the Avalon, never never never, understood ?"

That hadn't pleased him at all. He wasn't used to wearing a necklace and it bothered him for now. Hopefully it wouldn't last long.

Maybe that was why he couldn't sleep actually, that and the face he had to sleep on a sofa in an underground avalon after having the craziest day of his life.

At least he'd be able to appear human again, something he never thought he'd be grateful for in his life.

Tomorrow he'd go to class and resume his activities. This reassured him a little.

Maybe it all didn't change so much, after all.

"Hello, Vincent" said a voice in the dark, scaring the life out of him.

He looked around and spotted a park of shiny red eyes facing him. The tone indicated a girl was likely talking.

"Who are you ?" Vincent asked, worried the person might attempt to get closer.

"An old friend of Tom, name's Jeanne. I've come to tell you something important... You're a chimera, aren't you ?"

He gulped. "...yeah ?"

"I know you have a medallion, unlike the other chimeras, that makes you a mythical and not a monster, but the others ? They won't see like that, not a fucking chance. They don't like us monsters too much around here, especially not chimeras, some they don't care about too much like the gargoyles, but they'd sure be glad to be rid of us forever, I'm tellin' you"

"But... why ?"

"They think we're dangerous, Tom and I, but the others also. They're right about us two, we've survived through hell in the past and they know, so they don't dare do too much, but watch yourself kiddo. Your friends are good people so keep 'em close by all the time, especially that minotaur, Thomas.  
Kristia, that damned bugbear's already spying on you. You haven't met her but be sure she knows you very well already.  
Joke's on her, Tom and I we're like shadows in the night to her, can't miss us when the sun's here but at night she can't see us on her radar"

What was she talking about ? Vincent couldn't think of any reason why other people -especially as weird as mythicals !- could be so suspicious of him as to spy on him. Was Jeanne really telling the truth ?

"I haven't done anything wrong, you're talking nonsense"

A sharp laugh answered him, the red eyes narrowing.

"Aye, so you wish ! Your father thought so too, that is he didn't harm anyone they'd accept him. It worked for some, but there are others whose mind can't be bloody changed. In the end he paid the price"

Vincent held his breath. She knew his father ?

"What happened to him ?"

"Oh, at first all was good, your dad was member of council, generous, kind and whatnot.  
But one day, it all came crashing down, as one of his friends was found dead in the Avalon. It was a mess like I'd rarely seen, and believe me i've seen some stuff that'd keep you awake for weeks. The guy was murdered in his sleep, didn't stand a chance to fight back, must've been done quickly seeing as no one heard a peep.  
Then the rumor spread that your daddy had done it, long story short he abandonned the place, never seen him since"

"No... That can't be true, my father'd never hurt anyone !" exclaimed Vincent.

"Aye, I think so too, but I'm giving you this warning, watch your back, kiddo"

Vincent gulped. "O-okay. Thank you"

"De rien mon ami. Tom and I, we miss your dad. He was fair to us, it feels right to help you in return. We're together on this one, we'll be watching over you during night times, but don't you drop your guard"

The window creaked, a wave a cold air engulfed in the room, making him shiver.

"One last thing" said Jeanne, "Guess who replaced your da at the council ? Try an' ask your bud Thomas..."

The window slammed shut.

Vincent let out a relieved sigh, happy to see her gone.

The words still echoed in his head.

Suddenly tired, he decided to push away the questions that bubbled up in his mind and get some rest.

Tomorrow promised to be a long day.

* * *

Vincent tried to listen to the teacher giving a lecture, but couldn't focus properly.

"Andrea ?" he inquired "Who are Tom and Jeanne ?"

She looked around them, and drew closer, whispering. "They're VoirLoups, a very special kind of monsters. They've been in the Avalon for as long as I can remember. Tom is in charge of several entrances of the Avalon, as well as maintaining the catacombs maze's magic. Jeanne and him are married"

"Married ? But they're teenagers, at best ! Tom looks like he is 16"

"He may look like he is, but VoirLoups do not age. I've heard he is over nine hundred years old"

"You're kidding me, right ?"

"I never dared to ask him, but there's some truth to it. Jeanne is much younger, only around five hundred, I reckon"

"I can't believe it, how would that even be possible ?"

"I don't really know, only way to know is to ask him. I'll bring you to a pub I know tonight where he often hangs out, if you want"

Vincent was unsure, but ended up accepting. "Alright. What else is there about VoirLoups ? Why are they so creepy all the time ?"

She scoffed. "Wait until you see BugBears... Anyway, VoirLoups are people who've been cursed by a powerful demon. They can turn into an animal but only at night. They can't be harmed, either. I think those bits are true, but I've heard all kind of stuff about them and I don't really know what to believe at this point"

Vincent thought for a while.

"They seem friendly though, Jeanne talked to me last night"

Andrea turned to him, a frown on her face. "What ? When ?"

"I think she sneaked into the room I was in through the window. She just wanted to talk"

Andrea didn't sound too pleased about that. "Sounds just like her... Jeanne's more odd than Tom by a long shot. What did she want to tell you ?"

Vincent weighted his words carefuly as he said : "Something about my father, the reasons why he left. Mostly, she wanted to warn me"

"Against what ? Did she threaten you ?"

"No, quite the opposite. She said they'd watch over me, that I should stick with you guys as much as I could, that some Avalon residents did not look kindly toward chimeras"

Andrea sighed.

She didn't seem surprised at all. "Chimeras don't usually have a very good reputation, most are violent and uncontrollable. Your father, however, was as far from this behaviour as can be, and so are you, Vincent"

"Do you... Do you think I'm in danger ?"

"No, I don't think so, for now. But I wouldn't ignore the VoirLoups' warning either... I think we should tell Thomas about this. His family was close to your father, they'll know what to do"

"If you say so" replied Thomas, uneasy.

What did he get himself into ?

* * *

"Hey guys! Oh, nice medallion you got there, Vincent" said Clara with a wide smile. "So what **are** you?"

Vincent couldn't supress a laugh. "Ah, I get it now. Chimera"

Although Clara maintained a pleasant face, he noticed her smile retreat slightly. "Oh how wonderful, please have a seat, my husband will be there in a moment".

As soon as they were seated Vincent asked the question that burned his lisps.

"So I get that chimeras are not quite liked among the mythicals, is that correct ?"

"Whaat ? Who told you that ?" replied Sarah. She gave Andrea a stern look "What nonsense did you fill his head with?"

"Hey! I didn't say that ! Well, not exactly" tried to argue the gryphon "I just said that _some_ chimeras..."

"It doesn't matter if it's justified or not, the truth is that most people are afraid of chimeras." interrupted Thomas. "However, your father had a good reputation and there is no reason why you shouldn't either if you behave in a civilized manner"

Vincent was surprised by the serious tone Thomas had so quickly assumed when the discussion switched to grave matters. He wouldn't have guessed it from him before now.

The Minotaurs words did make him feel better too.

"Thanks, Thomas... But... Do you know why my father left the Avalon ?" He needed to know if Jeanne had told him the truth yesterday.

Thomas stared right back, his gaze heavy.

"Your father was accused of murder, although it was never proven to be true. One morning he was gone, without any explanation. No note, no word, no message anywhere"

"Do you think he could have done such a thing ?"

Andrea and Sarah had fallen silent, listening carefully to Thomas' words.

"I believe your father would never harm anyone except to defend someone else's life, or his own. Vincent, I have told you this because I believe you are entitled to know the truth, but this is a touchy topic which you must avoid at all cost within the Avalon, okay ?"

"I understand, thank you for your honesty, Thomas".

Vincent didn't know how to feel anymore. After all, he'd never really known his father, but the thought that he could be the son of a murder would be insufferable to him. At least his friends believed the opposite.

That also meant that Jeanne had told the truth.

"Sorry for ruining the mood" winced the chimera.

Thomas crossed his arms, looking stern "Don't you dare think any of this will be an excuse good enough to skip on my birthday this weekend, I'll get you there in chains if I have to"

They all laughed, relieving the tension.

Jeremie arrived and served the plates one by one.

When came Vincent's turn, he gave him a warm smile. "Hey, welcome to the club, you. My wife's told me you were a chimera ? Don't let what people think get to you, the only chimera's I've known was the kindest person in Paris. Enjoy the meal !"

Vincent found himself smiling.

"We could meet at the 'Stone Skin' after class tonight, what do think ?" proposed Andrea, as she'd promised Vincent this morning.

"Why not !" jovially replied the minotaur "I haven't seen Pierre in ages"

"I suppose" said Sarah, visibly not thrilled at the thought. "This place is always so dark"

"But they have the best beer in the Avalon !" argued the Minotaur.

"True, I'll give you that one", conceded the Pegasus. "Alright then, but under the condition that Vincent has to try it !"

He smiled "No need to ask"

"That's my boy !" exclaimed Thomas, giving him a slap on the shoulders "You'll love it I'm sure, it's choke full of people with incredible tales to share !"

"Which might even be true sometimes" mocked Andrea.

"Bah ! Who can say their mind is clear from any fog after a beer too many ? There's no harm in embellishing a story"

"Oh I wonder why you think that, Thomas" laughed Sarah, "Maybe you speak from experience, I wonder ?"

She laughed, while Thomas pretended to be upset, the smile curling up in the corner of his lisps saying otherwise.

Vincent looked forward to tonight, it promised to be a good time, he thought.


End file.
